Unfortunately, Army Wives brings new meaning to the word boring

I don’t mean the show, so much as where we’ve arrived to at this point. Specifically, Sunday night’s episode, and the potential for continuing stories. What happened, Army Wives? Are you out of gas so soon?

I mean, I was just getting nothing from Sunday’s episode. Sure, I had a long day — we went to a “pick your own” farm, and my 15 month-old son is just tall enough to dive into the lower third of everything, including his favorite: blueberries. He was standing there, picking berries off the branches, and popping them into his mouth. I do not want to think about how much of our home we could paint purple with the juice that he inhaled.

Um, what were we talking about? Right. See, your image of my son picking berries is more exciting than where the ladies (and gentlemen) of Army Wives have arrived. I’ve been trying to think back to the types of stories we got in season one, and what’s not getting my juices flowing here, and, while I haven’t yet been able to put my finger on it, it’s something.

Claudia Joy is suddenly very ho-hum. Not that her character’s become ancillary to the show, but her role in other people’s stories is certainly secondary. Even her role in her own life is somewhat minor. Michael’s off being a general, and while I think the show’s been blurring the line of what his old job was and what his new one is (isn’t there a new base commander who would be tasked with half of what he and Claudia Joy do?) to give him more to do, he’s missing his pizazz.

Denise, now that her Frank saga is over, and her job is fin, has nothing going for her. Frank, as much as I love him, was always the other half of Frank and Denise. Again, no saga, no nothing. Pamela and Roxy keep getting nonsense tossed their way (Pamela’s 10 year-old is already self-conscious about her appearance?), while Chase is still gone, and Trevor’s new-found status as a sergeant doesn’t make for interesting TV.

The only real “drama” going down right now is between Joan and Roland, and my problem with them is that I think Roland gives her too much of a pass. Look, she should have left him after the affair; no arguments from me. But she didn’t, and she’s not the type to keep it as a point against him, so assume their relationship is back to normal … why is he the one working so hard to make her deployment easier, WHEN IT WAS HER CHOICE???

Seriously, she needs to own that a lot more than she has been. She’s acting as if it’s something being forced upon her, and that’s totally unfair to Roland. I do not take away from her the pain being away from Sarah Elizabeth will cause her — I can’t even begin to imagine it. But when she passed on an opportunity to stay on base and work for Michael, instead choosing to go back to Iraq with her men, she was actively choosing to leave. It’s hard, okay. But don’t make Roland feel like he’s the one who has to make it right.

It does bring up an interesting point, however. Joan has a history working in an administrative position (and I think she may change her mind at the last second about deploying); Frank just took a desk job, and Trevor’s contemplating a career as an Army recruiter. With a lot of focus on Chase, and the “life of a Delta” possibly harbingering some shake-up there, will Army Wives still be the same if all five Army spouses have jobs on post?

One more for you: what’s up with the shot of the five women running in slow-mo, barefoot and in dresses, as the theme, or whatever, for the show? Not only would Joan never do that, but could it be any more off for the type of show that this is?

I’ll eat some blueberries as I ponder.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Aug 18, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT